I, even I, am your God,

and there is no god beside me;

I kill and make alive;

I wound and I heal;

and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.

- Deuteronomy, chapter 32, verse 39

I am the nucleus of every creature, Arjuna;

for without me nothing can exist,

neither animate nor inanimate....

Wherever you find strength,

or beauty,

or spiritual power,

you may be sure that these have sprung form a spark of my essence.

- Bhagavad Gita 10.39-40.

With men it is impossible,

but not with God;

for all things are possible with God.

- Bible. Gospel of Mark. Chapter 10, verse 27.

All that is in the heavens and the earth magnifies God;

God is the All-mighty, the All-wise.

To God belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth;

God gives life, and God makes to die, and God is powerful over everything.

God is the First and the Last, the Outward and the Inward;

God has knowledge of everything.

It is God that created the heavens and the earth.

God knows what penetrates into the earth,

and what comes forth from it.

what comes down from heaven,

and what goes up into it.

God is with you wherever you are;

and God sees the things you do.

To God belongs the Kingdom of hte heavens and the earth;

and unto God all matters are returned.

God makes the night enter into the day

and makes the day enter into the night.

God knows the thoughts within.

- Qur'an 57. 1-6.

After Bahá'u'lláh many Prophets will, no doubt, appear

but they will be under His Shadow.

Although they may abrogate the laws of this Dispensation

in accordance with the needs and requirements

of the age in which they appear,

they nevertheless draw their spiritual force from this mighty Revelation.

The Faith of Bahá'u'lláh constitutes, indeed,

the stage of maturity in the development of mankind.

His appearance has released such spiritual forces

which will continue to animate,

for many long years to come,

the world in its development.

Whatever progress may be achieved, in later ages,

after the unification of the whole human race is achieved,

will be but improvement in the machinery of the world.

For the machinery itself has been already created by Bahá'u'lláh.

The task of continually improving and perfecting this machinery

is one which later Prophets will be called upon to achieve.

They will thus move and work within the orbit of the Bahá'í Cycle.

- Shoghi Effendi. Directives of the Guardian. Pages 61-62.

This do I ask, O Lord,

reveal to me the truth!

Who is the first begetter,

parent of the Cosmic Law?

Who assigned orbit to the sun and the stars?

Who causes the moon to wax and again to wane?

Who other than Thee?

This and else I wish to know!

Who is the upholder of the earth and of the sky?

Who prevents them from falling down?

Who maintains the waters and also the plants?

Who yoked speed to winds and clouds?

Who is the creator of the creatures?

Who is the architect of light and darkness?

Who created sleep and wakefulness?

By whom exists dawn, mid-day and night,

Which monitor the duties of people?

Avesta, Yasna 44. 3-5

Lauded and glorified art thou, O my God!

I entreat Thee

by the sighing of Thy lovers and

by the tears shed by them that long to behold Thee,

not to withhold from me Thy tender mercies in Thy Day,

nor to deprive me of the melodies of the Dove

that extolleth Thy oneness

before the light that shineth from thy face.

I am the one who is in misery, O God!

Behold me cleaving fast to Thy Name,

the All-Possessing.

I am the one who is sure to perish;

behold me clinging to Thy Name,

the Imperishable.

I implore Thee, therefore, by Thy Self,

the Exalted,

the Most High,

not to abandon me unto mine own self

and unto the desires of a corrupt inclination.

Hold Thou my hand with the hand of Thy power,

and deliver me from the depths of my fancies and idle imaginings,

and cleanse me of all that is abhorrent unto Thee.

Cause me, then, to turn wholly unto Thee,

to put my whole trust in Thee,

to seek Thee as my Refuge,

and to flee unto Thy face.

Thou art, verily, He Who, through the power of His might,

doeth whatsoever He desireth,

and commandeth,

through the potency of His will,

whatsover He chooseth.

None can withstand the operation of Thy decree;

none can divert the course of Thine appointment.

Thou art, in truth, the Almighty,

the All-Glorious,

the Most Bountiful.

- Baha'u'llah

...From all eternity I have indeed recognized Thee and

unto all eternity will ever do so through Thine Own Self

and not through any one else besides Thee. Verily Thou

art the Source of all knowledge, the Omniscient. From

everlasting I have besought and unto everlasting will beseech

forgiveness for my limited understanding of Thee,

aware as I am that there is no God but Thee, the All-Glorious,

the Almighty.

I beg of Thee, O my Best Beloved, to pardon me and

those who earnestly seek to promote Thy Cause; Thou art

indeed the One Who forgiveth the sins of all mankind....

...I bear witness that Thou art the Most Manifest, the Omnipotent,

the Ever-Abiding;

that of all things that exist on earth and in the heavens nothing

whatsoever can frustrate Thy purpose and that Thou

art the Knower of all things and the Lord of might and

majesty.

Verily, we have believed in Thee and in Thy signs ere

the dawn of Thy Manifestation, and in Thee are we all

well-assured. Verily, we have believed in Thee and in Thy

signs after the fulfilment of Thy Manifestation, and in Thee

do we all believe. Verily, we have believed in Thee and in

Thy signs at the hour of Thy Manifestation and bear witness

that through Thine injunction `Be Thou' all things

have been created....

- Selections from the Writings of the Báb, page 4.

...When you love a member of your family or a compatriot,

let it be with a ray of the Infinite Love! Let

it be in God, and for God! Wherever you find the

attributes of God love that person, whether he be of

your family or of another. Shed the light of a boundless

love on every human being whom you meet,

whether of your country, your race, your political

party, or of any other nation, colour or shade of

political opinion. Heaven will support you while you

work in this in-gathering of the scattered peoples of the

world beneath the shadow of the almighty tent of unity....

- 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks, page 38

24. O SON OF MAN!

Transgress not thy limits,

nor claim that which beseemeth thee not.

Prostrate thyself before the countenance of thy God,

the Lord of might and power.

13. O SON OF SPIRIT!

I created thee rich, why dost thou bring thyself

down to poverty? Noble I made thee, wherewith

dost thou abase thyself? Out of the essence

of knowledge I gave thee being, why seekest

thou enlightenment from anyone beside Me?

Out of the clay of love I molded thee, how dost

thou busy thyself with another? Turn thy sight

unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing

within thee, mighty, powerful and self-subsisting.

...Some worship the product of their own imagination:

they make for themselves an imaginary God

and adore this,

when the creation of their finite minds

cannot be the Infinite Mighty Maker of all things visible and invisible! Others worship the sun or trees,

also stones!

In past ages there were those who adored the sea,

the clouds,

and even clay!

Today, men have grown into such adoring attachment

to outward forms and ceremonies

that they dispute over this point of ritual

or that particular practice,

until one hears on all sides of wearisome arguments and unrest.

There are individuals who have weak intellects

and their powers of reasoning have not developed,

but the strength and power of religion

must not be doubted

because of the incapacity of these persons to understand....

- 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks, page 145